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Sunday, August 12, 2012

Honey is sweet, but the bee stings!

Today as we were enjoying a lovely walk home with my kids after church we stopped at a couple playgrounds along our route.

My husband had stayed at church for a meeting. It was a lovely late summer afternoon- the evenings are already so chilly here and we are basking in the last rays of a summer sun.

As we were getting ready to leave the playground something bit/stung me on the leg, under my skirt. I gave a few quiet hoots of pain, what can one do when there are huge apartment buildings on every side? I couldn't exactly lift my skirt up and see what bit me now, could I? I lifted my skirt a bit on one side and shook it hoping to dislodge whatever had caught in my skirt.

I had seen a yellow jacket buzzing about me and even on my skirt, I had assumed he had flown away.

A few more steps and an even more painful sting on the back of my other upper leg left me howling (under my breath) so as not to scare my kids are be thought of as a weirdo. I dashed behind the nearest bushes, just to the right of the drive and between the huge apartments- hoping no one was looking. Then I lifted my skirt as high as I dared and away flew my torturer.

Man, oh man do bee stings hurt. I was at a loss as to know what to do. Here I was with 3 small children, yelping in pain. Should I call my husband out of his meeting? Should I run to the nearest pharmacy and get something to put on it to take away the pain? But how would I get up the stairs with the buggy. Then, my mom's old method came to mind, baking soda mixed with water makes a fantastic paste for bee stings- we always used that as kids. We dashed to the nearest grocery store and got some baking soda. I was praying God would ease the pain.

By the time we checked out and had made it to the nearest cafe I was able to tolerate the pain. Whew, that was an adventure I hope never to repeat!

1 comment:

Ouch! I've never had that happen but I've definitely thought through the scenario. What an awful pickle to be in! My son was stung four times by a wasp two weeks ago while at a playground. We used ibuprofen for the swelling and pain, baking soda and water to counteract the venom, ice to keep the venom from spreading, and hydrocortizone cream for the itching. He improved quickly, so I guess something worked!